Instep straps



J- l. ALTMAN INSTEP STRAPS Sept. 19, 1961 Filed Sept. 26, 1957 FlG.l

FIG. 4

FIG. 3

INVENTOR.

JACOB I. ALTM AN W 5 4 l fly ATT'Y United States Patent l 3,000,119INSIEP STRAPS Filed Sept. 26, 1957, Ser. No. 686,354

Claims. (Cl. 36-585) I v This invention relates to certain new anduseful improvements in instep straps for use with ladies shoes.

Ladies pumps are occasionally held snugly on the feet by means of aremovable elastic strap of one sort or another. Such strap usuallyencircles the instep of the shoe and the wearers foot, and, frequently,the construction of the strap is such that the elastic bites into'theinstep of the foot, causing a certain amount of discom fort to thewearer. Moreover, many types of instep straps are not only uncomfortableto wear, but are relatively unattractive in appearance.

It is, therefore, one of the objects of the present invention to providean instep strap which is sufliciently elastic to hold a shoe on the footof the wearer, but yet will not bite into the instep of the foot.

It is also the object of the present invention to provide an instepstrap of the type stated which is relatively 'attractive in appearance.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in thenovel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination ofparts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an instepstrap constructed in accordance with and embodying the present inventionand showing the strap as applied to a shoe;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the instep strap;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to thedrawings, which illustrate a practical embodiment of the presentinvention, A designates an instep strap comprising a sheet ofnon-stretchable plastic or other similar material lengthwise folded andstitched together by a lap-seam 1 in the provision of a tubular elementhaving opposed ends 2, 3, which are telescopically interfitted andtransversely stitched at 4 to form an endless annular band 5. The band 5so formed includes in inelastic tubular section 6 held flat by thestitched seam 1 which extends therethrough, and an enlarged tubularshirred covering 7, preferably of a length slightly greater than that ofthe inelastic section 6. Secured at its ends by means of transversestitches 8, 9, and enclosed within the shirred covering 7 is a thinelastic strip 10, the shirred covering 7 being somewhat loosely disposedaround the elastic strip 10.

In use, the instep strap A is placed around the pump p in the mannershown in FIG. 1, with the shirred covering 7 presented upwardly so as tofit against the foot of the wearer, and the inelastic section 6 fitsagainst the instep of the pump 2 and sole thereof. The elastic strip 10within the shirred covering 7 will permit the instep strap A to hold thepump p on the foot of the wearer. It will be apparent that the shirredcovering 7 forms a cushion between the foot of the wearer and theelastic strip 10 so as to permit the instep strap A to be worn incomfort and not bite into the instep of the wearers foot, and, at thesame time, the shirred covering presents an artistic and attractiveappearance. The flat inelastic section 6 does not contact the wearersfoot and, in fact, for the most part, is concealed from view.

Patented Sept. 19., 1961 ice It should be understood that changes andmodifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination ofthe several parts of the instep straps may be made and substituted forthose herein shown and described without departing from the nature andprinciple of my invention.

Hvaing thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. An instep strap for removable disposition around the shank of a ladyspump and the instep of the wearer when the pump is on the foot, saidstrap consisting of an endless tubular memberof relatively inelasticmaterial arranged and secured in a flat two-ply band adapted to-fitcomfortably across the under side of the. shank of the pump, said bandbeing integrally connected at its opposite ends to a symmetricallypositioned medial portion having the form of an internally open,somewhat flattened tube, said medial portion being shirred throughoutits length and thereby shortened, said medial portion being adapted tofit across the wearers instep, and a flat elastic strip extending freelythrough the medial portion, said elastic strip being shorter in lengththan the unshirred 1 length of the medial portion and being secured atits ends to, and within, the opposite ends of the two-ply band so as tohold the pump firmly on the foot of the wearer while cushioning thetendency of the elastic strip to bite into the wearers instep.

2. An instep strap for removable disposition around the shank of a ladyspump and the instep of the wearer when the pump is on the foot, saidstrap consisting of an endless tubular member of nonstretchable plasticarranged and secured in a flat two-ply band adapted to fit conformablyacross the under side of the shank of the pump, said band beingintegrally connected at its opposite ends to a symmetrically positionedmedial portion having the form of an internally open, somewhat flattenedtube, said medial portion being shirred throughout its length andthereby shortened, said medial portion being adapted to fit across thewearers instep, and a flat elastic strip extending freely through themedial portion, said elastic strip being shorter in length than theunshirred length of the medial portion and being secured at its ends to,and within, the opposite ends of the two-ply band so as to hold the pumpfirmly on the foot of the wearer while cushioning the tendency of theelastic strip to bite into the wearers instep.

3. An instep strap for removable disposition around the shank of a ladyspump and the instep of the wearer when the pump is on the foot, saidstrap consisting of an endless tubular member of nonstretchable plasticarranged, folded and stitched together by a lap seam in a flat two-plyband adapted to fit comformably across the under side of the shank ofthe pump, said band being integrally connected at its oppositeends to asymmetrically positioned medial portion having the form of an internallyopen, somewhat flattened tube, said medial portion being shirredthroughout its length and thereby shortened, said medial portion beingadapted to fit across the wearers instep, and a flat elastic stripextending freely through the medial portion, said elastic strip beingshorter in length than the unshirred length of the medial portion andbeing secured at its ends to, and within, the opposite ends of thetwo-ply band so as to hold the pump firmly on the foot of the wearerwhile cushioning the tendency of the elastic strip to bite into thewearers instep.

4. An instep strap for removable disposition around the shank of a ladyspump and the instep of the wearer when the pump is on the foot, saidstrap consisting of an endless tubular member of nonstretchable plasticarranged and secured in a flat two-ply band adapted to fit conformablyacross the under side of the shank of the V r 3 pump, saidnonstretchable plastic portion being concealed from view for the mostpart and not in contact with the foot of the wearer, said band alsobeing integrally connected at its opposite ends to asymmetricallypositioned medial'portion having the form of an internally open,somewhat flattened tube, said/medial portion being shirred throughoutits length and thereby shortened, .said medial,

portion being adapted to -fit across the wearers instep, and arfiatelastic strip extending ireely'through'the medial portion, said elasticstrip-being shorterin length than the unshirred length :oI themedialportion and being secured at its ends to, and the opposite ends of'thetwoply band so as to hold'the "pump firmly on the foot of thewearer'while cushioning the tendency of the elastic strip to bite intothe wearers instep;

,5. An instep strap for removable disposition around the shank of aladyispump and the instep of the wearer when the pump is on the foot,saidzstrap consisting .of an endless tubular member of ,nonstretchableplastic arranged and secured ina flat .two-plyband adapted to fitconfonnably across theunder side of the shank of the pump, said bandbeing integrally connected at its opposite ends to a symmetricallypositioned medial portion having the form of .an internally open,somewhat flattened tube, gsaid medial portion being shirred throughoutits length and thereby shortened, said :medial portion being adaptedtofit :across the weareris instep, and a flat elastic strip extendingfreely through the medial portion, said elastic strip being shorter inlength than the unshirred length of the medial portion and being securedat its ends to, and within, the opposite ends of the two-ply band so asto hold the pump firmly on the foot of the wearer, wherein the shirredcovering will ,form a cushion between the foot of the wearer and "theelastic strip so as to permit the instepistrap to be worn in comfortvand present an' artistic and attractive appearance.

References'Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS345,660 Asliworth July 20, 1886 382,287 Brandenburg May 1, 18881,272,519 Piper July 16, 1918 1,363,241 Florsheim Dec. 28, 19201,385,328 Louden July 19,1921 1,410,533 Platt ,Mar. 21, 1922 1,467,235Dekofi Sept. 4, 1923 1,651,285 'Levick Nov. 29, 1927 1,687,592.Rothstein Oct. 16, 1928 1,794,959 Howard Mar. 3,1931

FOREIGN PATENTS 41,799 Norway Aug. '31, 1925 177,005 Great Britain Mar.23, 1922 223,602 Great Britain V May 21, 1925 226,591 Great Britain Dec,22, 1 924

